


though shalt not lie

by surpanakha



Series: Resurrection [1]
Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surpanakha/pseuds/surpanakha
Summary: Beatrice returned to the Cat's Cradle after a three-month sabbatical around Europe following the events at the Vatican. Everyone and their mother has seen her, except for Ava. Is she avoiding the halo bearer?
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Series: Resurrection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824592
Comments: 18
Kudos: 534





	though shalt not lie

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of the Resurrection series - dealing with the aftermath of the events at the Vatican. This chapter is fluff written from Ava's POV.

Ava Silva awoke to the sound of the bells signifying the break of dawn. The Order of the Cruciform Sword has not required their current Warrior Nun to keep with the daily schedule of the convent, save for training hours. Mother Superion, who ran the place like clockwork, understood that Ava has not made her vows, and would not recite her morning prayers sincerely. Nevertheless, Ava tried to wake up the same time as everyone else. She figured that she had laid down on an orphanage bed for almost all her life, she could use the extra hours to stretch her legs.

“Seize the day!” Ava exclaimed to the universe. “Thanks, Diego.”

Ava felt for her phone beneath her pillow as she rubbed her eyes with her other hand. She squinted at the sudden glow of the screen, checked if she had any messages, then finally, instagram. She made that account three months ago, and was following only one person. Ava had tried search for the accounts of the group she met before getting caught up in the business of the OCS, the rag tag bunch of jet-setting squatters she spent the first few weeks of her second life with, to no avail. She realized she never really knew their true names, not even JC. In any case, she was already following the only person she needed to: @travelling_nun.

The account was private, she was the only follower. The last story was from three days ago, a boomerang of a train window passing by a sunny meadow. The text at the upper right hand corner of the story said: “Three days <3.”

Today was the third day. If Ava understood the post correctly, Beatrice would be returning to Cat’s Cradle today after her three month sabbatical around Europe.

Ava yawned and stared at the bare ceiling of her room. She began mentally listing her tasks, trying to think of the most boring chores she could do to suppress her happy spirits. The halo bearer tried to manage her expectations. It won’t do her well to wait for the arrival of someone who might very well not show up. “Three days” could mean a lot of things after all.

‘The resurrection of Jesus Christ?’

Ava got up and stretched, meaning to volunteer to chop the vegetables for breakfast. She had waited for her friend for three months, surely she could wait a little longer.

‘Friend? What kind of friend would give you a kiss so earth-shattering that it brought you back to life, and then leave you to go backpacking across the continent for three months?’

‘Fine, not backpacking then, soul searching, and it’s what she needs to do on her own.’

Ava let out a sigh and changed into her work clothes. A plain brown frock with a matching khaki bandana. She slipped out of her room to use the dormitory bathroom, padding lightly on the cobblestone floors of the convent so as to not disturb the other sisters doing their morning prayers. One of the benefits of not being exactly religious was that she gets to be the first in line in the bathroom come morning.

Well, except for Mary of course. Mary doesn’t pray to god, her faith is in her twin shotguns more than anything else. She was already washing her face at the sinks.

“You’re up early,” Ava said, nodding to her friend through the mirror.

“I’m always up early, you’re just late,” Mary said. She regarded Ava for a few seconds. “You seem chipper.”

“What? I’m always happy, Beatrice would reprimand me for always kidding around,” Ava replied. She turned on a tap to wet her toothbrush.

“That’s it! I haven’t seen you this happy since Beatrice left,” Mary replied.

“Whuddtonkinbout?,” Ava replied through the toothpaste in her mouth.

“You know something? Is she coming back?” Mary asked.

“Who’s coming back?” Lilith appeared behind Ava in the mirror, face towel and toothbrush in hand. Ava rolled her eyes. This was supposed to be at least five minutes of alone time before she starts the day.

“Hey, I saw that!” Lilith said. “Who’s coming back?”

“Beatrice, probably,” Mary replied. Ava rinsed her mouth and spat out.

“We don’t know that for sure. She’s been gone three months without a word,” Ava replied, trying to mask the hurt in her voice. She had wanted to come with Beatrice, wanted to be a part of whatever it was she was trying to do. But in the end, Beatrice told her she needed to do this alone, and Ava was done being selfish.

“Well, she has a big decision to make when she comes back,” Lilith replied. “Maybe she’s afraid.”

“Nevermind that, I just really hope she comes back in one piece. You don’t go trekking around Europe months after you almost die,” Mary said.

Ava was brought back to three months ago upon hearing Mary’s words. Beatrice on the bed, feverish, the sheets wet with her sweat, her wounds infected and refusing to heal. Ava knew what she had to do then and would gladly do it again.

Lilith’s hand over her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Sure, Ava here has been resting for three months and she still can’t beat me in Kali, now scoot,” Lilith said, nudging Ava playfully with her hip so she could use the tap.

“See you at breakfast,” Ava said, quickly excusing herself and making for the door.

“What was that about?” Lilith asked as she put toothpaste on her toothbrush.

“Well, you can be a downer sometimes. A fucking dementor,” Mary replied.

“Hey! Language!” Lilith said.

“What? She was real happy before you arrived,” Mary replied.  
  


xxx

Ava began her skills practice right after breakfast. Today it was arnis, a martial arts form using heavy wooden sticks that was Lilith’s mastery. Naturally, she was also the instructor for the day.

“Ugh, annoying,” Ava whispered.

“I hope you’re not talking about your sensei,” Lilith replied with a playful smile as she arrived at the dojo inside the cathedral.

“Oops, did I say that out loud?” Ava asked.

“All the time,” Mary replied, appearing behind Lilith in her practice robes, twirling her black wooden sticks with ease.

“Show off,” Ava said.

“Heard that, too,” Mary said.

“Alright, enough of that, let’s get started. Everybody, drop your sticks. I want you to run five rounds before we begin with skills,” Lilith started.

“Around the practice space?” Ava asked.

“Around the entire Cat’s Cradle, of course,” Lilith replied.

“Awww you suck,” Ava replied. “Sensei,” she added with a bow when Lilith threw her a dirty look.

“Wait up, wait up!” Camila said breathlessly, rushing to the practice ground. She had her hands on her knees when she finally joined her sister warriors on the mat.

“You’re late,” Lilith said sternly.

“I know, I’m sorry, I just came from Mother Superion’s. She’s back. She just revoked her vows,” Camila announced in between intakes of air.

“Who revoked their vows?” Mary and Lilith asked at the same time.

“Who else? Beatrice. Mother Superion tried to convince her otherwise. I did, too. That’s why I’m late to practice. She said she has already made up her mind,” Camila replied.

“She’s back! Beatrice is back!” Ava squealed, hugging Lilith as she ran back to the convent, to Mother Superion’s office.

“You two, time to pay up,” Mary motioned to Lilith and Camila.

xxx

Ava ran through the flight of stairs up to Mother Superion’s office as fast as her previously paralyzed legs would carry her. The door was open when she arrived. Mother Superion was behind her desk, arranging some papers. The seats in front of her were empty.

“Where is she?” Ava asked, out of breath.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at training?” Mother Superion eyed her with a suspicious look.

“Well, it’s wooden sticks. I have a sword made of Divinium with actual sharp edges so, no real need for that,” Ava replied with a smile.

“Ava, I’d like to think that because of what happened at the Vatican, you won’t treat any fighting skill as beneath you,” Mother Superion scolded.

“Of course not,” Ava replied. “I just came to see Beatrice. I heard she’s back.”

“Yes, back to revoke her vows,” Mother Superion sighed.

“I guess it’s not too farfetched to say that you are disappointed?” Ava asked, approaching the desk.

Mother Superion shook her head. “No, I’m not. On the contrary, I am proud of her. This is the first time since I’ve known her that she has made a decision not for anyone else but herself. You see, for as long as I’ve known her, everything she did was for her to get ahead, to be on top, to please those around her. Never to be happy. And happiness, that’s the best I could hope for the sisters. All of you. With or without the vows,” Mother Superion said.

“But what would happen to her now?” Ava asked.

“Nothing else has to happen. The vows does not a Sister Warrior make. You know that for yourself and Mary. Beatrice has mastery of various disciplines, and a bright, level head on her shoulders. I would hate to put those talents to waste. That is, of course, if she decides to stay on the mission,” Mother Superion explained.

“I sent her to her room to rest.” she added, nodding at Ava.

“That’s all you had to say,” Ava replied, beaming. She strode out of Mother Superion’s office to make for the dormitories.

Ava ran through the cobblestone floors she noiselessly padded through just a few hours earlier. Reaching the wooden door of Beatrice’ room, she felt for the knob and found that it was unlocked. She let herself in.

No Beatrice.

Ava stepped in, taking in the entire room with her senses. Her brown duffel bags embossed with the OCS seal, now empty, lay neatly beneath the spartan bed. No decor, nothing to indicate that the room belonged to Beatrice, except for her discrete scent which has slowly faded over the months, coming back rushing into Ava’s nostrils that she was overwhelmed with tears in her eyes. The halo bearer opened Beatrice’ closet. Her friend’s clothes were back and neatly hung. She took a sleeve from a blue wool shirt to catch more of the peony and blush hints she loved so much.

‘Damn, she’s efficient.’

‘Beatrice, where are you?’

xxx

Ava was digging into her potatoes alone when Mary and the others approached her. After spending the rest of the morning looking for Beatrice around the convent to no avail, and she was in no mood for lunch, nor a conversation.

“I told you you’re a dementor,” Mary told Lilith as they sat beside Ava.

“What? She’s been sulking like that since she entered the mess hall,” Lilith replied, setting her plate down the wooden table.

“It’s not you Lilith, it’s Beatrice. I don’t know where she is and I can’t find her. I think she might be avoiding me,” Ava sighed.

“Avoiding you? Why would she do that. She came to see each of us,” Mary replied.

“See you? All of you?” Ava replied.

“Yeah, she came to see me as I was doing the inventory of the armory,” Mary replied.

“And me, during my shift in the kitchen for lunch,” Lilith replied.

“And you know I saw her when she came to Mother Superion’s office. We spoke a bit. She seems to be doing great, better, actually, than I’ve seen her in years,” Camila said in between mouthfuls of broccoli.

“Well, I’ve been looking for her all morning. I guess she really is avoiding me,” Ava shook her head with a sigh.

“Just give her some time. She made a difficult decision today. Maybe things are overwhelming for her right now. You know Beatrice, she does not really get to express her feelings,” Mary said.

“And it’s not like we had a heart to heart. She just asked me how training is going in Cat’s Cradle when she came to see me,” Lilith added. “Must not be easy to turn away from a vow you’ve kept from a really young age.”

“Yes, what happened in the Vatican must have really shook her,” Camila surmised.

“Or she just found her true self. Without the vows,” Ava replied.

‘And without me, either,’ Ava added in her head.

xxx

It was late in the afternoon. Ava was tending to her crops, a little herb and tomato garden she was instructed to keep when it was discovered that the hand of a halo bearer brought plumper tomatoes to the table. She figured that it was hard to look for someone who doesn’t want to be found. If Beatrice wanted to see her, she would come to her, so she stopped searching and tried to keep her friend off her mind.

She was humming as she weeded her garden, a tune from a TV show she used to watch on her sick bed when she was a child, when she heard footsteps behind her.

“Ava, someone came to see you,” she heard the voice of Ruth, a new recruit.

“Finally! I --,” Ava turned excitedly to her visitor.

“Hey, sorry I just came now, I promise I’ve looked everywhere for you,” the person next to Ruth said.

“JC? What are you doing here?” Ava said, nodding at Ruth to dismiss her. She has not seen, much less thought about JC since the incident with the Tarask at the pier, and now she felt guilty. The guy looked gaunt, his white shirt hanging loosely about his bony shoulders. There was a stubble on his chin and his longer hair looked unkempt. She was head over heels for this boy. What happened?

‘It’s ‘who’ happened,’ Ava reminded herself.

“To come get you, of course! Are you not happy to see me?” JC replied. “I must have knocked through every convent and church door in the Iberian peninsula just to find you, Ava. I’m all in. Whatever you got caught up with, I’m all in for you.”

“Umm, about that. Can we talk?” Ava said. She wiped her dirty hands on her apron and motioned towards one of the benches near the adoration chapel shielded by fragrant orange trees that afforded a little more privacy.

JC walked to one stone bench and tapped the seat beside him. Ava settled down.

“So..?” Ava started.

“I want to say sorry for how I just left you behind when that..,” JC struggled to find the words, “thing…appeared. I still don’t understand, but I’m not going to force you to tell me everything all at once. Just when you’re ready.”

“JC, there’s nothing really to tell, not anything you would want to involve yourself with,” Ava replied.

“But I’m ready, Ava. I disappeared before because I thought being with you was fun and being attacked by a real, actual demon, that was not fun. But losing you for the past couple of months, and worrying about where you are, I’ve come to realize how much you mean to me,” JC said, trying to take Ava’s hand. She took that hand away on reflex and scratched at her ear.

“What’s wrong, Ava? I thought you’d be happy to see me,” JC said with confusion in his voice.

“I am happy that you’re safe, JC, I am,” Ava started.

“There’s a but there,” JC replied.

“You were a great friend, JC. I owe you a lot. You took me in at a time that I had no one, and I will never forget it. What I felt for you then, those were real feelings. Just not exactly what I thought those feelings were. Everything was new to me then. And I can’t deny that you’re hot.” Ava said, chuckling. JC smiled.

“I mistook my feelings for something else, I’m sorry, JC,” Ava continued.

“That’s fair, I can understand that, but how can you be so sure that you were wrong then?” JC asked, concerned.

Ava took a deep breath. She knows she was a different person now than the one who ran away with JC months ago. She still wouldn’t take everything seriously, but she knows now that the world doesn’t revolve around her. It took Beatrice, who was firm but patient, who was steadfast and never bailed out on her when things were no longer fun, and who came back for Ava even when she was literally at heaven’s gates, to know.

“I know better now,” Ava replied with a smile.

xxx

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner? Everything that goes on the table is organic, plus, I can cook now,” Ava said as she walked JC to the gates of the Cat’s Cradle.

“I really would love to spend more time with you but I still have some pride to nurse,” JC replied. “It’s nice seeing you again, Ava. You look like you belong here.”

“I do,” Ava replied.

“Oh, by the way, say hi to Beatrice for me,” JC added.

“Bea-who now?” Ava asked.

“Beatrice? Your tiny Asian sister? I actually met her at the bus station. I saw a cross embossed on one of her bags and asked her if she was connected to the Catholic church. I was kind of desperate so I showed her our pictures on my phone, said I was your friend. She grilled me about you, but in the end, she told me that she’s actually headed to where you are. We arrived here together this morning. I was just told not to disturb you because you had chores. I was held at the visitors area the whole time,” JC explained.

“So you just trusted that a stranger actually knew where I was and would take you to me?” Ava asked.

“She seemed harmless,” JC replied, shrugging.

“JC, you’ve seen what these nuns could do,” Ava said.

“I know, I remember. I just thought those two nuns we encountered at the pier were a special kind? I didn’t think every single nun in this convent is a karate master,” JC replied. “You feel safe here?”

“Of course I feel safe here. This is the safest place I could ever be,” Ava replied.

’So even JC has seen Beatrice. Great. It’s really everyone but me,’ Ava thought.

“Umm, you know which bus to take?” Ava asked.

“Yes, Beatrice told me,” JC replied. “Keep in touch?”

“Sure, here,” Ava handed JC her phone. He began punching numbers and returned the phone to Ava’s hand.

“I’ll give you a ring. Keep safe, JC,” Ava said and gave her friend a hug for the last time.

xxx

Ava traced her steps back to her room. The day has passed and still, she seems to be the only person in the Catholic world who has not yet seen Beatrice. She just wanted to wallow in self-pity.

She reached her door and was puzzled to see it ajar. Ava pushed it open.

There, by the light of the setting sun trickling through the windows sat Beatrice at the foot of her bed. She cut her hair. The messy strands rested just a little below her ears, and Ava wanted to entangle her fingers into those dark tresses, messing it up even more.

‘What a cutie, and this cutie came back for me from the dead.’ Ava thought.

“Sorry for trespassing,” Beatrice started, looking up to meet Ava’s eyes. “I wanted to be alone and everyone knew how to find me in my room, I guess my feet just took me here.”

“Oh, Beatrice!” Ava gasped, rushing to her side. She caressed Beatrice’ face before finally digging her fingers into her hair close to her ear. Beatrice leaned into the touch.

“You revoked your vows? Why?” Ava asked. Beatrice stared at her like she was stupid.

“Of course I revoked my vows. You know why,” Beatrice replied. Her hands found Ava’s other hand, and absently toyed with her fingers.

“Then why were you avoiding me?” Ava asked. She could not mask the hurt in her voice.

Beatrice’ soft hands in Ava’s suddenly turned rigid.

“You lied to me,” Beatrice said coldly.

“What do you mean? How?” Ava asked.

“You know you were my first kiss. You told me I was yours, too. I met JC on the way here, he told me that you kissed him on the ferry while you were trying to escape,” Beatrice replied, not meeting Ava’s eyes.

‘Oh,’ Ava thought.

“Oh! Is that it, Beatrice?” Ava said, taking both Beatrice’ hands on her own. “Look at me, please.”

“Listen, it’s my fault, okay?” Ava explained. “But to be fair, I didn’t mean to lie, I just simply forgot. That’s the god honest truth.”

“You forgot?” Beatrice asked.

“Well, when you’ve been kissed like I had been kissed by you, like I was meant to be kissed by your lips and your lips alone, that’s the only kiss you’d remember,” Ava said. Beatrice blushed, and a small smile formed on her lips.

“Your kiss erased everything, the fear, the pain, being alone. It brought me back from death. How could I remember any other kiss before yours?” Ava said. A small tear fell from Beatrice’ eye and Ava wiped it away with a finger.

“It was your kiss that brought me back from the dead, too,” Beatrice replied.

“I’m sorry. I was jealous and petty, and you should have been the first person I saw,” Beatrice said.

“Hey, all’s good. I’d probably feel the same way if I found out you kissed another person before me. But instead of avoiding you, I’d send their ass to hell with the new moves I learned from Lilith,” Ava replied, laughing.

xxx

The last remaining hours of the afternoon found the two cuddling in Beatrice’ room. Beatrice told Ava about all the places she’s been to in the past three months. The bed was littered with trinkets she has brought Ava from all over Europe.

“Mmmm, this is so good!” Ava said, going through a box of chocolate truffles Beatrice brought from Switzerland. Her head was nuzzled on Beatrice' neck, sniffing the scent she has craved for months.

“I knew you’d like it,” Beatrice replied. They remained in companionable silence until Ava spoke.

“Beatrice, what are you going to do now, now that you’re no longer a nun?” Ava murmured into Beatrice’ chest, concern lining her forehead. Beatrice brought up a finger to massage those lines away.

“Well, I know you want to stay and finish the mission, defeat Adriel once and for all. I want to be by your side. My life’s work is still about protecting the halo and making sure it does not fall into the wrong hands. And I want to keep the bearer safe, as well,” Beatrice replied while playing with Ava’s hair.

The two stared at each other, smiling until the church bells rang for dinnertime.

Ava groaned.

“I just want to keep what’s mine for a little longer,” Ava said, burying her face deeper into the hollow of Beatrice’ neck, taking in her subtle scent. Her head shot up at the sudden realization of what she just said.

“I’m sorry, Beatrice, I didn’t mean to, I know we have not really talked about what we are and what this is, and it’s really just me talking aloud, AGAIN —“

Beatrice silenced Ava with a swift kiss, soft and warm.

“Hey, I know we are still figuring this out and I am not in a rush. But one thing I’m sure of is...,” Beatrice started.

Ava looks up at her with glassy eyes, hoping.

“I’m yours,” Beatrice said with a shy smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Yaaay! You made it! Thanks for reading. The second chapter is a prequel written from Beatrice POV, and tells the story of Ava and Beatrice' near-death experience mentioned several times in the first chapter. Because of the subject matter, and Beatrice' POV, the next chapter will be pretty angsty.
> 
> Keep talking about Warrior Nun everywhere so we get a season 2!


End file.
